Friction type screwdriver

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises a screwdriver having an inner handle fixed to the working end of the screwdriver. A resilient sleeve is rotatably mounted about the inner handle, and is compressable radially by the operator against the inner handle to frictionally engage the inner handle. The operator will compress the resilient sleeve against the inner handle and turn resilient sleeve to turn the inner handle and working end of the screwdriver through the frictional engagement between the sleeve and the inner handle. Thereafter he will release the compression of the resilient sleeve and rotate the sleeve relative to the inner handle and working the end of the screwdriver back to its original position.

United States Patent 9] Butler [4511 ,May 1,1973

I FRICTION TYPE SCREWDRIVER [76] Inventor: Richard G. Butler, Box No. 391,

Gimli, Manitoba, Canada [22] Filed: Sept. 21, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 182,321

[52] US. Cl ..145/76 [51] Int. Cl ..B25g 1/00 [58] Field of Search "16/110; 81/58, 58.3; 145/76, 50 R, 61 R, 75, 61 EA, 61 G; 292/347 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,340,914 9 1967 Ricks ..l45/61R Primary Examiner-Othell M. Simpson Assistant Examiner-Mark S. Bicits Attorney-Robert E. Kleve 1 5 7 ABSTRACT The invention comprises a screwdriver having an inner handle fixed to the working end of the screwdriver. A resilient sleeve is rotatably mounted about the inner handle, and is compressable radially by the operator against the inner handle to frictionally engage the inner handle. The operator will compress the resilient sleeve against the inner handle and turn resilient sleeve to turn the inner handle and working end of the screwdriver through the frictional engagement between the sleeve and the inner handle. Thereafter he will release the compression of the resilient sleeve and rotate the sleeve relative'to the inner handle and working the end of the screwdriver back to its original position.

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures Patented May 1, 1973 INVENTOR RICHARD G. BUTLER mama 1Q FIG.5.

ATTORNEY.

This invention relates to screwdrivers, more particularly, the invention relates to ratcheting type screwdrivers.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel screwdriver which may be ratcheted through the frictional engagement of a resilient outer sleeve with an inner handle connected to the working end of the screwdriver.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel ratcheting screwdriver having an inner handle which is fixed to the blade of the screwdriver, and a resilient sleeve which is rotatably mounted to the inner handle, whereby the operator may squeeze and compress the resilient sleeve radially against the inner handle to turn the sleeve and handle and blade, and thereafter release the compression grip on the sleeve, and rotate the resilient sleeve back to its original position.

It is another object of the invention to provide an inner blade fixed to the working end of a screwdriver and a rotatable resilient sleeve compressable to engage the inner handle functionally to turn the inner handle and working end of the screwdriver with the resilient sleeve, and releasing the compression on the sleeve to turn the sleeve back to its original position for the ratcheting operation.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the frictional engaging ratcheting screwdriver invention.

FIG. 2 is a side cut away view of the frictional engaging ratcheting screwdriver invention.

FlG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the frictional engaging screwdriver invention illustrating the resilient sleeve compressed into engagement with the inner handle portion and with portions cut away to reveal the interior construction thereof.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side view of a modified form of screwdriver invention with a retaining lock structure.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a frictional engaging ratcheting screwdriver having an inner handle which is fixed to the blade on working end of the screwdriver. A resilient sleeve is rotatably mounted about the inner handle and may be compressable radially by the operator squeezing the resilient sleeve against the inner handle, and turning the inner handle and blade for-turning a screw into material. Thereafter the operator will release the compression of the sleeve and rotate the sleeve relative to the inner handle and blade back to its original position for repeating the operation.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the frictional engaging ratcheting screwdriver invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 as having a resilient outer sleeve 21 and an inner handle portion 22, has a collar portion 23 at the forward end of the inner handle, and a stem 25 fixed to the forward end of the collar. A flat blade portion 26 is formed at the forward end of the stem 25 for turning screws.

The inner handle 22 has aplurality of elongated radial extending ribs 27 extending longitudinally along its outer surface. An annular groove 28 is formed in the inner handle adjacent the rearward ends 27 of the radial ribs 27, and an annular disc or button portion 29 is formed at the rearwardmost end of the inner handle. The disc 29 and the radial ribs 27 have a radius which is greater than the annular groove. V

The inner handle 22 and its collar portion 23 are made of relatively hard plastic and are molded integrally to one another, with the forward portion of the inner handle 27 and its collar portion 23 molded around and surrounding the inner end 25 of the metal rod or stem 25 of the screwdriver and fixed thereto.

A metal annular cylindrical ring 30 is rotatably mounted on the reduced cylindrical shoulder portion 31 of the collar 23. The metal ring has a cylindrical ring portion 30' and a radially extending metal flange portion 30' formed integrally with the ring portion 30'.

The resilient outer sleeve 21 has a sheet like cylindrical portion 32 and a plurality of elongated radially extending ribs 33 molded integrally with the inside 32 of the sheet like portion 32, which ribs 33 project radially inward. At the rearward end 34 of the resilient sleeve 21 is a radially inwardly extending flange portion 35 which extends radially inward at its inward most edge 35 rests upon the base 28' of the annular groove 28.

The sheet like portion 32, the radial ribs 33, and in wardly extending flange portion 35 are made of resilient rubber or plastic and are molded integrally with one another. r

An annular space 38 separates the ribs 27 of the inner handle 22 and the ribs 33 of the resilient sleeve when the resilient sleeve 21 is not compressed, as shown in FIG. 2. Consequently, the ribs 27 of the inner handle and the ribs 33 of the sleeve do not contact one another, when the sleeve is not compressed. The sleeve 21 has its forward end 39 slipped over the ring 30' portion of the metal ring member 30. Theforward end of the sleeve 39 having been expanded slightly to fit on the ring, frictionally engages the ring portion under compression, so that when the resilient sleeve 21 is rotated on the inner handle 22 the ring member 30 will rotate with the sleeve 21. The annular flange 35 at its inner edge 35' and the metal ring 30 serve as bearing supports for the resilient sleeve to rotate on the inner handle.

The resilient sleeve and its ring member 30 will have only two points of contact when the sleeve is not compressed. The points of contact being the relatively light engagement of the inner edge 35' of the resilient sleeve in the annular groove 28 and the slight contact of the ring member 30 on the cylindrical portion 31 of the inner handle. 3

OPERATION resilient sleeve 21 to compress radially inward, as I generally illustratedin FIG. 4, with the ribs 33 of the resilient sleeve engaging in between the ribs 27 of the inner handle to provide a frictional locking connection between the resilient sleeve and the inner handle.

With the resilient sleeve 21 compressed as just described, with the ribs 33 and ribs 27 engaged together, the operator will turn the resilient sleeve, and through the frictional locking connection between the ribs of the sleeve and the ribs of the inner handle, will thereby turn the inner handle 22, stem 25, and blade 26 to turn the screw. When the operator has turned the resilient sleeve 21 and the inner handle and blade to the end of his wrist action, he will release his grip on the resilient sleeve sufficiently to allow the resilient sleeve 21 to expand back to its original position shown in FIG. 4, so that ribs 33 will not be engaged with the ribs 27 of the inner handle. Then lightly gripping the resilient sleeve so that its ribs are not compressed into engagement with the ribs of the inner handle, the operator will rotate the sleeve 21 back to its original position, with the sleeve riding on the annular groove at one end and with ring member 30 rotating on the collar, with the sleeve, at the other end, while the inner handle and screwdriver blade remain stationary.

When the resilient sleeve 21 has been returned to its original position, the operator will repeat the operation by gripping the resilient sleeve 21 again compressing the sleeve into the ribs of the inner handle and turning the sleeve, inner handle, stem and blade to turn the screw another turn into the material and then releasing the compression and rotating the sleeve back to its original position.

*Thus, the turning of the sleeve with the handle and rotating it back to its original position provides a novel ratcheting action, by the ribs of the resilient sleeve engaging with the ribs of the inner handle, during the turning action.

The interlocking of the ribs 33 of the resilient sleeve 21 to the ribs 27 of the inner handle 22 provide a relatively more positive locking engagement between the resilient sleeve and the inner handle, when the resilient sleeve is compressed to facilitate turning or rotating the inner handle and its screwdriver handle 26 to thereby turn a screw.

Conversely, the smooth hard cylindrical portion of the hard plastic collar 31 and the smooth hard cylindrical ring portion 30' of the brass ring 30 provide bearing support therebetween with relatively little frictional drag or resistance, and the annular inner edge 35' of the resilient sleeve against the annular groove 28 also provide little frictional drag therebetween, so that the resilient sleeve 21 may be easily turned, relative to the inner handle 22, with the ring 30 turning with the resilient sleeve, when ratcheting the resilient sleeve back to its original position.

The spacing 38 illustrated in the drawings, has been slightly exaggerated, for purposes of illustration, and in actual practice the inner rib may be made slightly larger radially outward. Conversely, the ribs on the sleeve may be slightly larger radially inwardly so as to provide a narrower space therebetween, so that the innermost edges 23' of the ribs at the sleeve and the outermost edges 27 of the ribs of the handle are closer together.

The 27", 33 of the resilient sleeve and the ribs 27 of the inner handle each have a uniform cross-section rounded throughout their length, with the outer ends 33' and 27 respectively, being rounded as illustrated in FIG. 3. a

In order to assemble the screwdriver, the operator will slip the ring member 30 onto the annular cylindrical shoulder portion 31 from the rear of the screwdriver, and thereafter will slip the resilient sleeve 21 onto the inner handle 22 of the screwdriver from the rear of the inner handle forcing the forward end of the sleeve onto the cylindrical portion 30' and the annular resilient flange at the rear of the sleeve will expand sufficiently as the sleeve is forced onto the handle, expanding the annular opening formed by the inner edge 35 sufficiently to slip over the disc or button portion 29 and snap into the annular groove 30 with the annular flange 35 reassuming its normal shape or position.

While the working end of the screwdriver has been illustrated with a flat blade, other types of working ends, such as on a Phillips type screwdriver may be provided.

When the operator does not desire to use the resilient action, but wishes to restrain the sleeve 21 to the inner handle, the locking attachment 40 illustrated in FIG. 6, may be provided.

The locking attachment 40 has a coil spring 41 which is mounted over the annular groove 42 at the forward end of the collar portion 23. The coil spring 42 urges against the annular disc 43 and the annular disc 43 has four rearwardly projecting tongues 44 spaced degrees from one another. A projecting annular ridge 45 formed integrally with the collar 23 has four notches 46 spaced 90 from one another to receive the projecting tongue 44 of the disc 43, and the tongues 44 when projecting through the notches 46 project rearwardly past the ridge 45 into the four notches 47 spaced 90 from one another in the metal ring member 30" to lock the metal ring member 30 which is rotatably mounted on the collar 23 thereby, restraining the sleeve 21 from moving relative to the inner handle 21 because of the frictional engagement between the forward end of the sleeve and the ring member.

When the locking attachment is not being used, disc member 43 will be pushed forward compressing the spring 41 and will be rotated until the tongues 44 align in front of the front surfaces 44 of the ridge portions 44 between the notches 46 and released, and the spring will urge the tongues against the ridge portions 44 and retain the tongues against the ridge portions.

It will be obvious that various changes and departures may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and accordingly it is not intended that the invention be limited to that specifically described in the specification or as illustrated in the drawing, butonly as set forth in the appended claims wherein:

What is claimed is:

1. A ratcheting friction type through said comprising a cylindrical inner handle means, a stem fixed to said inner handle means and extending longitudinally forward therefrom with a screwdriver member at its outer end, a cylindrical resilient sleeve surrounding said handle, said resilient sleeve having an annular opening at its forward and rearward ends, said inner handle means having annular projecting portions at its forward and rearward ends projecting through openings in said sleeve defining bearing surfaces, with the edges of said of the sleeve with the ribs of the handle means, whereby an operator may turn the sleeve while the sleeve is compressed causing the sleeve through its interengagement of its ribs with the ribs of the inner han' dle means to turn the inner handle means and the stem and the screwdriver member at the forward end of the stem to turn a screw, and thereupon releasing the compression of the sleeve and rotating the sleeve relative to the inner handle means back to its original'position, the operator may recompress the sleeve for another turning operation. 

1. A ratcheting friction type through said comprising a cylindrical inner handle means, a stem fixed to said inner handle means and extending longitudinally forward therefrom with a screwdriver member at its outer end, a cylindrical resilient sleeve surrounding said handle, said resilient sleeve having an annular opening at its forward and rearward ends, said inner handle means having annular projecting portions at its forward and rearward ends projecting through openings in said sleeve defining bearing surfaces, with the edges of said sleeve defining said openings resting upon said projecting portions of said inner handle means, said resilient sleeve having radially inward projecting longitudinal ribs along its intermediate portions, said inner handle means having outward projecting longitudinal ribs therealong between its projecting portions, said bearing surfaces of said inner handle means supporting said resilient sleeve so that the inner edges of the sleeve ribs lie outside the outside circumference of the outer edges of the handle ribs on the inner handle means, said resilient sleeve being compressable radially inward along its intermediate portions to interengage the ribs of the sleeve with the ribs of the handle means, whereby an operator may turn the sleeve while the sleeve is compressed causing the sleeve through its interengagement of its ribs with the ribs of the inner handle means to turn the inner handle means and the stem and the screwdriver member at the forward end of the stem to turn a screw, and thereupon releasing the compression of the sleeve and rotating the sleeve relative to the inner handle means back to its original position, the operator may recompress the sleeve for another turning operation. 